In vivoscreening of five phytochemicals/extracts and a fungal immunomodulatory protein against colibacillosis in broilers

Abstract

Five phytochemicals/extracts (an extract from Echinacea purpurea, a b-glucan-rich extract from Shiitake, betaine [Betain TM ], curcumin from Curcuma longa [turmeric] powder, carvacrol and also a recombinant fungal immunomodulatory protein [FIP] from Ganoderma lucidum) cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli were investigated for their anticolibacillosis potential in three chicken experiments, which were conducted in floor pens. Birds that were inoculated with E. coli intratracheally were treated with the phytochemicals/ extracts or the FIP and compared with doxycycline-medicated and non-medicated infected broilers. Nonmedicated and non-infected birds were used as negative controls. Mortality, colibacillosis lesions and body weight gains were used as parameters. Considering the sum of dead birds and chickens with generalized colibacillosis per group, there was no significant difference between the positive control groups and birds treated with phytochemicals/extracts or the FIP. In contrast, doxycycline-treated birds showed significantly lower mortality and generalized colibacillosis. Moreover, none of the phytochemicals/extracts and the FIP improved recovery from colibacillosis lesions, while all doxycycline-treated broilers recovered completely. The negative control birds and doxycycline-treated groups consistently showed the highest weight gains. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of reisolates showed that they were genetically indistinguishable from the inoculation strain. In conclusion, none of the tested phytochemicals/extracts and the FIP significantly reduced the E. coli-induced mortality and generalized colibacillosis, and nor did they improve recovery from colibacillosis lesions.

Comparison of Newcastle disease vaccine administered as powder or liquid in relation to the serum antibody response and adverse vaccinal reactions in broilers

“…In comparison to broilers given the coarse vaccines, generalized colibacillosis occurred to a much greater extent after vaccination with the fine vaccines. From these and other studies, it appears that generalized colibacillosis is very detrimental to broilers as it is associated with mortality and severe growth retardation (Matthijs et al, 2003;Matthijs et al, 2005;Peek et al, 2013), whilst only a minority of birds recover (Peek et al, 2013).…”

A Review on Phytochemicals (Including Essential Oils and Extracts) Inclusion in Feed and Their Effects on Food Producing Animals

“…They also noted that Lactobacillus can cause changes in villi of the small intestine and is effective in improving broiler growth performance. The reader is referred to a review article by Valenzuela-Grijalva and coworkers regarding growth promotion, carcass and meat quality focused on poultry and swine [62]. Therein, the authors specifically tackle several concerns about including phytochemicals into the feed.…”

In vivoscreening of four phytochemicals/extracts and a fungal immunomodulatory protein against anEimeria acervulinainfection in broilers

“…Cloning of the FIP LZ9 and production details have been described previously (Peek et al 2013). Briefly, based on degenerated primers designed towards the LZ8 gene, encoding an FIP of Ganoderma lucidum (Kino et al 1989), a fragment was amplified, cloned and sequenced.…”

“…To assess the mixing procedure of the phytochemicals/extracts, the FIP and the anticoccidial product in the samples of feed, charges were subjected to chemical analyses. The four phytochemicals/ extracts (E. purpurea, betaine, curcumin and carvacrol), the FIP and the anticoccidial drug (salinomycin) were analyzed as described in detail by Peek et al 2013 andLandman 2003. Briefly, the content of E. purpurea in the feed was determined by HPLC analysis of cichoric acid and by semiquantitative thin-layer chromatographic analysis of alkylamides, betaine was determined by a colorimetric assay on the periodide reaction of quaternary nitrogen compounds, curcumin was determined by spectrophotometric analysis and carvacrol by semiquantitative thin-layer chromatographic analysis.…”